Greene County Democrat

Tag: Dr. Marcia Pugh

  • Greene County Health System chooses Rodgerick Williams as new CEO/Administrator

    The Greene County Health System (GCHS) Board of Directors has selected Rodgerick Williams (age 49) as the new CEO/Administrator of the hospital, nursing home, physicians’ clinic and all ancillary health care services. His starting date was November 17, 2025.
    Dr. Marcia Pugh, former GCHS CEO/Administrator had informed the board that she was retiring effective October 31, 2025, but would remain available to assist the board and orient the new Administrator, as needed after that date.
    Rodgerick Williams was born in Jackson, Mississippi but grew up in Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama, living in Branch Heights most of that time. He graduated from Eutaw High School and knows many of the people in Greene County.
    Most recently, Williams was System Director of Capital Procurement at Houston, Methodist Hospital, where he oversaw a $1 Billion annual budget and implemented strategies that achieve $1 Million in weekly cost savings. Previously, at Tenet Healthcare, he unified procurement strategies across 61 hospitals and 475 surgical centers, generating meaningful cost savings while preserving Joint Commission and CMS compliance.
    He also was, earlier in his career at Community Health Systems, leading a multi-division operation for over 200 hospitals and spearheaded cost reductions of more than $1 million dollars a week.
    He began his healthcare career as a U. S. Army Combat Medic/EMT, and he transferred to the Air Force to be a Biomedical Equipment Technician. He has a bachelor’s degree and Master’s of Science in Health Administration, from the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB).
    In addition to his operational and financial management expertise, Williams has a strong commitment to community health and equity. As a Professor of Strategic Management in Healthcare at UAB, he partnered with local governments to reduce healthcare disparities. He was honored with the UAB Alumni Services Award for revitalizing underserved communities.
    “Recently, I purchased 85 acres of land in Fosters to build a home and a farm near Greene County. I was attracted to this position, as CEO/Administrator of the Greene County Health System, because I can bring my vision and experience in healthcare management and finance to this opportunity in a rural setting,”  said Williams.
    He added, “I am confident in my ability to lead with integrity, innovation, and a deep commitment to patient centered care, while driving strategic growth and operational excellence.”
    John Zippert, GCHS Board Chair said, “ We are fortunate to find an experienced and dedicated leader to manage and operate our small rural hospital and nursing home into the uncertain future of healthcare in America and Alabama. We know that Rodgerick Williams came to us at a considerable sacrifice in compensation, but we wanted to offer locally grown talent a chance to lead our facility and serve our people and community.”
    Rodgerick Williams lives in Fosters, with his wife Leontyne Gulley Williams and two middle school children.

  • Greene County Commission provides $240,000 in assistance to the Greene County Health System

    By John Zippert, Co-Publisher and Editor

    In a special meeting on October 23, 2025, the Greene County Commission approved a loan/grant combination of $240,000 in financial assistance to the Greene County Health System (GCHS), which includes the hospital, nursing home and physician’s clinic.
    The healthcare system has been challenged by many financial problems over the past decade. The monthly revenues have not been sufficient to cover all expenses of the GCHS, for the past three years. “We have had to juggle bills for a while to keep operating and we have come to the end of the line. An IRS lien at the beginning of September took all our reserves and some funds we were holding to pay other bills. Last week, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, which provides health insurance for our employees cancelled our policy saying we owed $60,000 for two months – September and October,” said Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS Administrator.
    The income of the GCHS has been also affected by low reimbursement rates from Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance. The failure of the State of Alabama to expand Medicaid to persons making less that 135% of poverty level income, has resulted in 40% of the people in Greene County, most who are working at low wages, not to have any health insurance coverage. This has meant that the facilities of GCHS giving increasing “uncompensated care”, which adds to the facilities operating deficits. The uncertainty of the impact of future cuts in Medicaid, Medicare and other health care benefits casts a shadow over the future financial progress of the organization.
    John Zippert, Board Chair of the GCHS requested that Garria Spencer, Chair of the Greene County Commission consider advancing to the healthcare system $100,000 from the 4 mil advalorem, property tax funds , that the county collects for the hospital. Taxpayers are starting to pay their 2025 property taxes as of October 1, 2025, and will pay over the next four months. Spencer checked with the County’s Legal Counsel and called the special meeting for the Commission to discuss and act on the request.
    The Commission approved the $100,000 advance to be used to pay Blue Cross-Blue Shield to reinstate the employee health insurance and to pay other bills, including payroll. The Commission also approved transferring $40,000 of Opioid Lawsuit Settlement funds to the GCHS. At the suggestion of Commissioner Tennyson Smith, the Commission also approved granting $100,000 to GCHS from the Commission’s Bingo Funds. That resolution was amended by Commissioner Roshanda Summerville for $50,000 to be used for an audit and the remaining $50,000 to pay other bills, when the GCHS presents a list of bills owed. Commissioner Allen Turner urged the GCHS Board of Directors to seek funding from the sheriff, municipalities, and other groups receiving funds from gaming.
    John Zippert, GCHS Board Chair thanked the Commission for its support and said that the healthcare system might have to come back for additional help depending on the finances of the organization. Zippert explained that GCHS has a short-range financial plan and a longer-range plan that it was working to implement.
    The GCHS currently has a loan/bond financing arrangement with Citizens Trust Bank to pay off bills and debts that accumulated over a dozen years ago. This bond issue matures in 2027 but should have accumulated reserves to pay off the bonds early. The healthcare system looks to make a new loan/bond issue, with the support of the County Commission, to pay off over $2million of current debts. The bonds are backed by a one cent of the 3 cents sales tax that the County Commission receives each month. The County Commission pays the sales tax funds to the bank to service the secure bridge loans to keep operating until supplied the assurance necessary to the bank and the bondholders that they will be paid.
    Along with a new bond issue, the GCHS Board is looking to find other sources of new revenue for the health system. This includes a new Alabama Rural Hospital Investment Fund (RHIF), which can make grants for operational costs to qualified rural hospitals. The grant will be contingent on hospitals raising money from individuals and corporations willing to pay into the RHIF, in lieu of paying state income taxes. Another source will be the five-year, $50 billion fund for rural hospitals, in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’. Federal regulations are still being developed for the dispersal of these funds. The GCHS also proposes to increase usage of the facilities which will increase revenues. Currently there are 38 residents in the Greene County Nursing Home, and they have 72 beds which potentially could be filled.
    The GCHS plans call for securing the new bond issue by the end of this calendar year. In the meantime, the short-range plan calls for bridge loans to help the facility remain open and operating to serve county residents. The plan also includes asking creditors for patience until the longer-range plan goes into effect to receive the funds they are owed.
    The GCHS Board of Directors, which is appointed by the County Commission, has vowed to keep the hospital, nursing home and clinic open and operating, no matter what it takes.

  • Congresswoman Terri Sewell holds forum in Branch Heights to address local impact of Trump budget cut

    Pictured from left to right:  Rep. Terri Sewell,Dr. Corey Jones Superintendent of Greene Co. Board of Education, Jean Rykaczweski, CEO of West AL Food Bank, Dr. Marcia Pugh CEO of Greene County Hospital, and Dennis Stripling Executive Director of West AL Regional Commission


    On Thursday, March 20, 2025, Congresswoman. Terri Sewell held a community forum from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. at the Branch Heights Community Center Gymnasium in Eutaw. This session attended by 150 people was part of her “Congress in your Community” program.
    The forum featured a panel discussion where Rep. Sewell served as the moderator, addressing the impact of budget resolutions and decisions made by the current administration under President Donald Trump.
    During the discussion,  Sewell informed the audience that President Trump and the Republican members of Congress are planning to cut as much as  $4 trillion from the Federal budget to provide a tax cut to the wealthy and well connected. 93% of the benefits of this tax cut will go to the top 1% of the taxpayers. Sewell said, “Despite the Republican promises, we know that these tax savings rarely trickle down to us. We were not invited into the rooms to negotiate this deal, which is bad for our district and our nation.”
    Sewell continued, “Among the budget cuts that Trump, Vance and Musk want to make involve the wholesale firing of a quarter or more of the Federal workforce; $240 billion from food stamps; $880 billion from Medicaid, which provides for the health care of children and the aged in nursing homes; Title I and other education funds to provide equity to the poor, disabled and underserved children.”
    Sewell said she and Congressman Shomari Figures had to hold a press conference in Montgomery, the weekend of Blood Sunday, to push Musk to take the Greyhound Bus Station, now serving as the Freedom Riders Museum off the list of Federal properties to be sold. “Our history is not for sale” she said fearlessly.
    Sewell also blasted Trump, Vance and Musk’s attempts to reduce the staff and offices of Social Security, which will lead to cuts in benefits. “Social Security is not an entitlement program. It is an earned benefit paid for by people paying into the system over a lifetime,” said the Congresswoman.

    Rep. Sewell posed the question to the panel regarding how these budget cuts would affect their respective organizations.
    Dr. Corey Jones, Superintendent of Greene County Schools, expressed his concerns about education funding being placed entirely in the hands of the state government. He voiced skepticism about whether Governor Kay Ivey and future administrations would ensure that Greene County receives its fair share of funding. ‘Our Title I funds have gone to add teachers, lower class size and respond to children with special needs, will we get a fair and comparable share of the funds, when they are controlled by the state, with no oversight and accountability,” said Superintendent Jones.


    Dr. Marcia Pugh, representing the Greene County Health System, discussed the reality that currently Medicaid reimbursement rates are much lower that actual costs which is already a hardship. If these funds are cut, more it will make it difficult for our small rural hospital to survive. “Every one of the 37 patients in our Nursing Home today, Black and White, are covered by Medicaid. If Medicaid funding is reduced, how will we be able to take care of these elderly residents, where will they go, with other facilities having the same problem. We will not be funded to take care of them,” said Pugh.


    Dennis Stripling, Executive Director of the West Alabama Regional Commission, provided an update on senior services. He noted that, for now, the three senior centers in Eutaw, Forkland, and Boligee continue to provide food for seniors. However, he highlighted the upcoming reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA), which has been in place since 1965. Rep. Sewell assured attendees that she would advocate for the renewal of the OAA, ensuring continued support for senior nutrition programs.


    Jean Rykaczweski of the West Alabama Food Bank reaffirmed her commitment to working with local farmers to provide fresh vegetables to the food bank. USDA Federal funds for these programs have already been eliminated. “We have some funds from other sources, which we plan to use to purchase fresh food items from local farmers. These foods will be distributed to various locations throughout West Alabama, helping to support families in need,” she said.
    
Rep. Sewell pledged to fight for funding and continue working to protect the interests of her constituents, against the cruel and misconceived plans of the Trump, Vance, and Musk crowd.

    Debbie Duncan provided help in writing this article

  • Rep. Curtis Travis holds community meeting in Eutaw to discuss upcoming gaming legislation

    Curtis Travis conducts meeting at Eutaw City Hall

    By: John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    On December 13, 2023, State Representative Curtis Travis held a community meeting at the Eutaw City Hall to discuss upcoming legislation impacting gaming in Greene County and seeking the input of Greene County residents on the legislation.

    Representative Travis explained that he has not yet seen the proposed legislation but knows that something is in the works. “Other legislators and state officials have told me there are hundreds of illegal gambling places in the state and the state is losing revenues from these unsanctioned gambling establishments, said Travis.

    Travis says he anticipates a bill which “will include a statewide lottery, designation of a number of state sanctioned full casinos, some consideration of sports betting and some provisions for places like Greene County, which have Constitutional Amendments regulating bingo gaming.”

    Travis continued, “All gaming will be under a statewide regulatory body to make sure the revenues come to the State of Alabama. It is not clear what will happen to places like Greene County that have a Constitutional Amendment governing gaming, like C. A. 743 for Greene County, which contains a mechanism for distributing revenues.”

    Representative Travis asked the fifty people present at the meeting, for their opinions on the legislation and their bottom-line requirements for the legislation.

    Brenda Burke, speaking in her role as Administrator for the Greene County Commission said, “In the past few years, the Commission has used funds from bingo to provide matching funds for $18 million dollars in road and bridge improvement projects. We need to have continued funding from
    gaming to support new projects.”

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, Administrator of the Greene County Health System, said, “We have received $60,000 a month in support for our hospital and nursing home payrolls, from electronic bingo. We are counting on this level of support for the health system from whatever gaming legislation is passed.

    John Zippert, co-Publisher of the Greene County Democrat said, “I am concerned about two things, first, that we know exactly how much money is flowing through the gambling establishments in Greene County ; and two, that Greene County agencies, including municipalities, the school system and hospital, as well as non-profit charities, are held harmless and receive at least as much annually as they receive from bingo – which currently is $600,000 a month or $7.2 million a year.”

    A person working with Greenetrack, said “If the new legislation gives us a full-service casino in Greene County, then we will get as much or more revenues from the one casino as we did from five bingo halls.

    Some participants at the meeting expressed concerns that since May 2023, their municipality or organization had not received any distribution of funds from the Sheriff. He has said he is using these funds to cover the legal costs of defending bingo in Greene County, against the State of Alabama, which is trying to close gaming because it claims the bingo machines are ’llegal gambling machines’.

    Representative Travis said the meeting was not to discuss current problems but to deal with the impending legislation. He said he was willing to come back and hold another meeting to discuss the current status of gaming.

    School system Superintendent Corey Jones said the school system was receiving funds from bingo until recently, which were used to benefit the educational advancement of students.” We hope we will receive an earmarked portion of whatever gaming resources come to Greene County, since the original intention of the gaming legislation was to help public education in Greene County.

    The general consensus of the meeting was that Greene County be treated as a special case, in the upcoming legislation, since we have gaming under Constitutional Amendment 743; and that agencies currently receiving funds be able to continue receiving funds commensurate with gaming in the community.

  • Congresswoman Terri Sewell secures $521,000 grant for Greene County Health System

    Congresswoman Terri Sewell visited Eutaw on Friday, November 10, 2023, to announce a grant of $521,000 from HHS for two new generators to the Greene County Health System.

    Sewell said the grant to the hospital and nursing home is part of $42.8 million in earmarked funds for her Congressional District. “When Democrats took over the House of Representatives, we decided to restore ‘earmarked funds’ for needed projects in our districts. This is a helpful way to make sure that beneficial projects in the district get priority funding, under existing programs,” said Sewell.

    “All hospitals, especially rural hospitals are under financial pressure.
    “In my position on the House Ways and Means Committee, I am working to ensure equitable Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to rural hospitals,” said Sewell.

    She also observed that, “The Governor and Alabama Legislature have not agreed to expand Medicaid, under the Affordable Care Act, which would provide basic health insurance to 300,000 Alabamians, who are too rich to qualify for Medicaid and too poor to purchase insurance on the ACA exchanges. This means many residents come to our hospitals and health care facilities without the ability to pay for needed services and pushes our hospitals, like Greene County Hospital, further into operating deficits.”

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS CEO and Administrator, thanked Congresswoman Sewell for the grant to purchase two new generators to provide electricity for the hospital and nursing home in case of an emergency loss of power.” We have been working on this project for two years, including a complete mapping of the electrical circuits in our buildings, before we could install the new generators,” said Pugh.

    Congresswoman Sewell left the hospital and attended the Greene County Fall Festival on the old Courthouse Square grounds. She made some remarks and took questions from the participants.

     

  • Community rallies behind Greene County
    ambulance services (EMS)

    In the past four months, since mid-May, the Greene County Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) has made major progress with solid support from the Greene County community.
    GEMS has secured funding for two new ambulances; moved to a new office, across from the Greene County Hospital; hired a new director and staff; secured a new billing agency and higher reimbursement rates from Medicare and insurance providers; and with the help of supporters was able to raise its basic operating budget.
    At its May 23, 2022, meeting the board selected Chris Jones as its new director and asked the Greene County Commission, City of Eutaw, Towns of Boligee, Union and Forkland, the Sheriff, as well as other agencies and businesses to help save and support the county’s ambulance service.
    This meeting was held after the prior director informed the state that the GEMS service was closing, and he resigned. The board wrote the state to rescind his letter and started to rebuild.
    Prior to the May board meeting, the Greene County Commission pledged $125,000 in American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward acquisition of a new truck engine and chassis to mount and renovate the service’s existing ambulance box. The service secured a loaner ambulance until the newly refurbished ambulance is delivered later this year.
    At its September 13, 2022, meeting, the Eutaw City Council approved a contribution of $26,000, of its ARPA funding as matching funds to acquire a second ambulance and stretcher from the Alabama Council on Emergency Medical Services. Joe Lee Powell, Chair of the GEMS Board says, “We will soon have two working ambulances that we need to provide services to the residents and visitors of Greene County.” The Eutaw City Council previously used $62,000 of CARES funds to provide lifesaving equipment to the service.
    Chris Jones, GEMS Director, put together a plan asking the Commission and municipalities to help cover the $40,000 monthly payroll of the ambulance service for three months while a new billing agency was brought onboard and up to speed to provide the operating revenues for the system.
    The Greene County Commission approved three months of operating support at $18,356 a month – a total of $55,068. The City of Eutaw has provided $36,000 in operating support since the beginning of 2022. The Town of Boligee has contributed $10,000 in support this year, including $1,500 a month, pledged for the three-month period. The Town of Union has also pledged support. Sheriff Benison from bingo funds has contributed $65,000 and pledged $8,500 a month for the three-month special operating fund campaign.
    The Greene County Health System has provided a house across the street from the hospital as an office and staging area for the ambulance staff including showers, kitchen and sleeping facilities. The GCHS Board agreed to provide seven months rent at $550 a month, from June through December 2022 as a $3,850 contribution to the ambulance service operating budget.
    The Greene County Industrial Development Authority contributed $5,000 towards the ambulance service. Danny Cooper, GCIDA Chair said, “You never know when you will need an ambulance – so we must support our emergency service. We must have a functional ambulance service to assist businesses and industries that may have on-the-job accidents and injuries, needing ambulance services.”
    The RockTenn Corporation, owners of the Eutaw box plant have given $5,000 toward the GEMS operating budget and other businesses in the county are expected to follow this example. The services has received other small contributions from individuals.
    Dr. Marcia Pugh, vice chairperson of the GEMS board and Hospital CEO, said “We are grateful to the agencies, businesses, and people of the community for coming forward to help us stabilize and support our ambulance service. We are determined to have an emergency service that can serve the people spread around our rural county. We may need continued assistance to provide timely and quality ambulance services.”

  • Greene County EMS ambulance services to continue

    At a special called meeting of the Board of the Greene County Emergency Medical Service on Monday, May 23, 2022, Board Chair Joe Lee Powell announced, “ We are committed to keep the ambulance service open and running for the people of Greene County. We will work with the County Commission, municipalities, major employers and anyone else who wants to work with us to maintain and improve the service.”

    Powell also announced the resignation of acting director Zack Bolding from his position and the appointment of Chris Jones, as Acting Supervisor of the GCEMS. Jones is an advanced EMT on the staff, which will allow the service to retain its ALS-1 rating and provide full services.

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, CEO of the Greene County Health System, who is Vice-Chair of the ambulance board, said that Bolding had never been authorized to send a letter to the state Office of EMS, dated May 16, 2022, that said the Greene County EMS was scheduled to suspend operations, effective May 20, 2022 at 1800 hours. This information was broadcast over many local TV stations.

    “We did not suspend operations last Friday and we are still operating now,” said Powell. He indicated that the Board had support to make payroll for staff on that date but that Bolding had not submitted the employee data necessary to make the payroll.

    Bolding presented Powell with bank statements from the EMS operating account in Merchants and Farmers Bank but he whited out all the payees on the checks to make them worthless as records for any kind of investigation or audit. “We will have to get another set of records from the bank, to get the information we need,” said Powell.

    This incident highlights a problem facing the Board for the past two years since Bennie Abrams and Stanley Lucious retired from the GCEMS. All monies earned by the system from ambulance services go into the operating account which was not controlled by the Board. Abrams. Lucious and others controlled and signed on this checking account. The Board tried to get control of this account but were blocked by the bank due a disagreement over the Federal EIN number used to establish the account.

    The GCEMS Board opened a separate account to deposit and spend funds they raised to support the operations and purchase of new equipment for the system. The staff directors, first Nick Wilson and then Zack Bolding, did not assist the Board in unifying the funding control of the service. Because of this divide, it has been difficult for the Board to establish financial direction and control of the service. The Board had difficulty in answering financial operating questions about the services to agencies, like the Greene County Commission and various municipalities, like Forkland, Union, Boligee and Eutaw that wanted to help.

    “Hopefully we will be able to correct these and other problems affecting the system, now that we have a new director and some better grasp of our finances,” said Dr. Pugh.

    Powell announced that the GCEMS Board has received new donations from various sources including $5,000 from WestRock, $1,000 from the First Responders Committee of Greene County, $10,000 from TSP Support League, to add to $50,000 from the Sheriff’s bingo discretionary fund, $30,000 from Greenetrack, $5,000 from the Town of Boligee and other donations previously reported. Some of these funds are for general operations and other funds are for specific equipment needs. The County Commission has agreed to fund a $100,000 retrofit of an ambulance box on a new truck chassis, which is planned for this summer. The City of Eutaw purchased major life-saving equipment for the service in the past year.

    The GCEMS Board will be meeting with the Greene County Commission on June 1, in their scheduled work session, to discuss future operating support for the ambulance system. The Commission and municipalities are expecting a second injection of funding from the American Rescue Plan, which can be used to help with the ambulance service and other pressing problems.

    The City of Eutaw is planning a benefit basketball tournament, this weekend at the old Carver Gym to benefit the ambulance service.

    “We are developing an immediate crisis plan to keep the service going while we make a longer-range plan for its continuing operation and survival,” said Powell.

  • Greene County Commission considers financial and road improvement projects

    At its first regular meeting of the calendar year, on Monday January 10, 2022, the Greene County Commission dealt with financial matters and approved plans by the County Engineer for road repair projects.

    The Commission authorized Willie Branch, the County Engineer, in consultation with Mac Underwood, the CFO, to proceed with road projects not to exceed $990,000 for Fiscal Year 2022. This will allow repair of County Roads 60, 117 and 18 in various parts of the county.

    The funds authorized include $557,123 in funding, already in hand from the Rebuild Alabama/Federal Exchange Program and an advance of $440,000 from electronic bingo funds, to be repaid from future Rebuild Alabama funding, which is expected in the coming years.

    The Commission also approved spending $500,000 from electronic bingo funds for patching and leveling roads in the county in need of these repairs. The County Engineer will provide a list of these projects in future meetings.

    The Commission also approved also approved the FY2021 Annual Report to the Rebuild Alabama Program detailing the work that was done with state funding last year. Also approved was advertising for two needed Highway Department positions, one full time and one temporary worker for the Solid Waste section.

    The Commission appointed a bond insurance team to refund outstanding 2007 warrants to build the County Jail facility. There is $2,775,000 in financing at 4.61% interest to be refinanced. At the Commission Work Session on January 5, Walter Lewis representing the Piper-Sandler investment banking company said he was seeking to refinance the outstanding bonds at a lower interest rate between 2.44 and 2.49%, for an additional 8.6 year term, which would save the Greene County between $569,000 and $599,000 in interest over the remaining time period.

    The Commission approved a resolution, designating a team with Underwriters: Piper/Sandler; Bond Counsel: Butler and Snow; and Issues Counsel: Parnell and Thompson to work with Mac Underwood, CFO< to provide a proposal for the refinancing of these bonds.

    Mac Underwood, CFO, gave the financial report as of the end of the first quarter of the FY 2021-22 showing that most agencies, including the County General Fund, had spent 25% or less of their budgeted funds, leaving 78% of the budget remaining. Underwood reported that there was $5,821,482 in Citizens Trust Bank as of December 21, 2021; there was $10,850,868 in Merchants and Farmers; with $1,102,438 in Bond Sinki9ng Funds. There is $787,734 in American Rescue Plan Act funds in Citizens Federal with $420,374 allocated leaving a balance of $367,359. The Commission authorized payment of all claims for the month of January.

    The Commission heard a report from Dr. Marcia Pugh, CEO of the Greene County Health System on the impact of the coronavirus in Greene County. She indicated that there were no reported cases of the omicron variant among residents of the Greene County Nursing Home, who are vaccinated and tested on a weekly basis due to the high rates of positive testing in the county and throughout the state. Dr. Pugh emphasized the need for all people, above the age of 5, to get vaccinated and boosted to prevent serious disease and hospitalization.

    In other business, the Commission:

    • Tabled consideration of settlement of a dispute with Greenetrack, for payment of lease funds for use of the facility, which is partially owned by the County.

    • Approved advertising for a person to sit at the front door of the Courthouse and screen visitors for coronavirus and direct them to the proper offices for their business.

    • Approved travel for the County Engineer to a conference in Montgomery on February 9 and 10 dealing with transportation.

  • Ribbon Cutting for Home Health Care Services at Greene County Health Services

    Friday, December 3, 2021, a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held for Mercy & Grace Home Health Care Service to be housed at the Greene County Physician Clinic, a part of the Greene County Health System (GCHS).

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, CEO of Greene County Health System, welcomed the Mercy & Grace Home Health program, as part of the GCHS. “We had been planning to revive this service and we are now able to do this under an agreement with Mercy and Grace to provide these needed services which are part of the healing process for our patients, “said Pugh.

    Carrie Logan, President of the Eutaw Area Chamber of Commerce, was on hand to deliver words of welcome, for a new business.

    Janie Williams, CEO/NLP /CFO, stated, “We are here to service the Black Belt area including Greene, Sumter, Perry, Bibb, Hale, Fayette, Pickens and Tuscaloosa. We were founded for the purpose of providing professional, reliable home health services to West Alabama. Our goal is to make sure families always have a reliable option for at- home nursing and personal support.” 

        Williams explained that when faced with illness, it’s not surprising that a majority of patients would much rather receive care at home. No matter the circumstances that may require home health care, whether it is a recent diagnosis, ongoing therapy or physical rehabilitation, or a declining medical condition, being at home, surrounded by family, is a benefit to not only the client, but the family caregiver as well. 

        Home Health Care Services include experienced help around the home to improve safety, health, comfort, and convenience, meal preparation, cleaning, laundry, making beds, dishes, changing light bulbs and taking out the trash and other home services our clients want. Personal aides provide health-related personal assistance. They are qualified to provide hands on care.

        Other Home Health Care Services provided by Mercy & Grace may include the following:
    •Medication reminders, •Adherence to health-related diets such as a diabetes diet, •health monitoring, •Skin care, •Mobility assistance, •bathing assistance, •dressing, grooming and feeding. 
    •Personal attendants for socialization, mental alertness, supervision, and safety.
    •Help with remotes, help with communication such as getting the mail, writing letters, email, and social media, computers and other devices. 
    •Help with hobbies such as scrapbooking, collections, indoor plants, journals, etc.
    •Supervision when there is a chance of wandering or self-injury,
    • Private Duty Nursing, Skilled Medical care from a nurse giving you personal attention in the comfort of home.
    •Medication reconciliation and medication management. •Giving shots and other medication administration, •home infusion nursing, •wound care such as for pressure ulcers, • observation and assessment, •post-surgical care.
    •Assistance away from Home – running errands and shopping for clients. 
    •Aides accompany clients during outings to make sure everything goes smoothly. 
    *Nurses can accompany clients to doctor’s visits to help make sure important information is received, communicated to family members as per client wishes, and followed up on. 
    •We even provide personal attendant services for clients in the hospital or nursing home. 

    If you wish to use the services of Mercy & Grace Home Health, you must advise your doctor that
    You are requesting their services. Mercy & Grace, Inc. will be ready to help. For additional information you can contact them at: 205-737-7744.

  • Hospital dedicates imaging suite for Dr. Sandral Hullett, retired medical director

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS Adminstration with Dr. Sandral Hullett (seated) and Strelitzia King, niece, Amberley Smith, niece and Gloria Hullett sister of Dr. Hullett, beneath new plaque naming the imaging suite for Dr. Hullett
    Dr. Sandral Hullett and family members cut ribbon on new
    imaging center suite.
    Dr. Marcia Pugh (L) and John Zippert, GCHS Board chair stand with plaque honoring Zippert, which will be place in Physician Clinic Conference Room named to honor him for his service to the  GCHS.
    Dr. and Mrs. Rucker Staggers, former doctor and nurse at the hospital stand with Dr. Sandral Hullett, their medical colleague for many years.

    On Sunday afternoon, November 21, 2021, the Greene County Health System held a ceremony to name and dedicate the new imaging wing of the Greene County Hospital in honor of Dr. Sandral Hullett, retired medical director of the facility.

    The imaging suite includes the new X-ray room, a new 16 slice CT scanner, an ultrasound room and related office and patient spaces. An older 4 slice CT scanner, was located in a trailer behind the hospital building. This has been replaced by a new and more modern machine, inside the facility.

    A plaque on the wall recognizing Dr. Hullett for her service and assistance to rural health care in the Alabama Black Belt was unveiled by Dr. Hullett and members of her family.

    Dr. Marcia Pugh, GCHS Administrator thanked Dr. Hullett for her years of dedicated service to the people of Greene County. “We are especially happy that we were able to upgrade and bring the CT scanner inside. We will no longer have to bring our patients out the back door to a trailer in inclement weather. The X-ray and ultrasound equipment have been similarly upgraded. We have also improved our Emergency Room facilities and equipment.

    “We encourage Greene County residents to visit our GCHS facilities and see the many improvements for themselves. We want the residents of Greene County to have quality and affordable health care, without having to travel to other out-of-town facilities, unless they need specialized care that we cannot provide. Because of the coronavirus, we had to limit participation in this ceremony, but we want people to know about and use our improved facilities, when you need them.” stated Dr. Pugh.

    As part of the ceremony, the hospital also unveiled another plaque to honor John Zippert, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, to be placed in the Conference Room of the Greene County Physician’s Clinic, which was named for Zippert, several years ago.

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